Judges

[442w30]

I don't think the Net has anything to do with oddball cars - time does. The more time we have, the more we learn. And, it could be a matter of perception, but I don't consider a RAIV with no options as being oddball. There always has been a small segment of the population who will buy a race car over a high-line cruiser. This is a commonality of all musclecars of all brands. If you look at the production figures for other brands, you'll see how true this is.

[Chevy454]

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To answer your questions about them running better now is back then you launced off a concrete pad!! unlike today.

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I believe concrete is still the preferred material for burnout boxes and launch pads...if I'm not mistaken, the general trend these days during track refurbishing is to extend the concrete *further* down track...even seems like I remember one of the newer tracks going concrete all the way through the traps...and if ya wanna find the seam between the concrete & asphalt, then watch a pro-stock or 10.5" tire car run, as that's usually where the run gets *interesting*...

[StealthBird]

Diego, I believe that the internet is the #1 reason some of these cars have surfaced, and it's definately driven the prices up on some cars. Bigger audience, more people willing to buy, and that tends to send people out into junkyards looking for rare cars, maybe cars with tree trunks growing out of the hood, but these people are armed with info taken from websites, and they're looking for codes.

I don't think a stripped RAIV GTO is incredibly rare either, but you had said a few posts ago, "Where did you get the information you could order a GTO gutted? Have you seen one before?"

I guess the term "oddball" would be based on the percentage of the total # of units made of a particular car. For instance, I would consider the red 71 Judge ragtop as "oddball", but not an anomoly. They only made 17 in total, so it's a rare color of a rare car.

An anomoly may be that white with red top/red interior 70 GTO from a while ago, or that one-off red 72 Trans Am, or a vinyl top on a 69 Trans Am.

You're right though, the term "oddball" is often misused to describe a car that really isn't that odd, just a little out of the ordinary.

[gtaa9]

A car could be ordered in any configuration ie:the color of the car,color of inter,the car has a differant gear ratio in the rear end,it has hub caps instead of ralley ll's ect.little things like that makes the car unigue.I believe that there are still some unigue cars out there that need to be discovered.Something is always popping up every year that we did'nt know existed.

[442w30]

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I don't think a stripped RAIV GTO is incredibly rare either, but you had said a few posts ago, "Where did you get the information you could order a GTO gutted? Have you seen one before?"


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I think there's a difference between a stripped GTO and a gutted (read: special-ordered without sound deadener). Order a RAIV and get all the mandatories and you're pretty much set. Going through channels to get no sound deadener is a different story.

I have to agree with gtaa9 in that there are plenty of cars we haven't heard about which are crawling out of the woodwork. But this is due to time. All the Net does is facilitate more people hearing about it. As time marches on, cars that once were basketcases will be restored. There are more restored musclecars out there now than there were 20 years ago, after all.

[JLP]

Curious about the '71 GTO post car. Thought only HT & Verts were available. You could get the endura nose and 455HO in '71 on any 2 dr ht, vert or post car. They were separate options in '71 but together in '72. Post GTO's went away in '68 and came back in '72. Don't have my brochure with me to be able to look at it. I bought the T-37 new and don't recall the post car being available in the GTO. Wouldn't a bought it anyway. Just more money and weight.

[442w30]

You are right about the post.

Funny how the Olds 442 was the only GM car to keep the post, but eliminated it for a year in 1971.

[StealthBird]

Sorry, just got back to this post. JLP, you're correct, I meant 72 GTO. My mistake.

I was curious though about your comment that T-37's did not have hood insulation. I've never seen a 71 or 72 GTO, with Ram Air, that had hood insulation either. In fact, I don't believe any of the Ram Air GTO's (or Firebirds) used insulation.

Yes, I'm surprised that Olds stuck with a post coupe too.

[bwag]

In 68 the Ram Air cars came from the factory with under hood insulation and the Ram Air package in the trunk ,open hood scoops,air cleaner and hood seal. That was before they were cable operated.It kept the water out of the engine until they were prepped and delivered.What you did with your car after you bought it was your choice.

[JLP]

We need to remember that most of these cars that we think are so unique were NOT special ordered by customers!!!! They were ordered by someone in the dealership for saleability. They knew what would sell. I would be curious how many cars (including this sites Chevrolet's) were actually ordered by the person who bought the car. I would say it was rather rare. Some were ordered to race but most were not special ordered by the customer. Now, we think, 'boy, someone ordered this car with strange options' when that someone probably was the sales manager for the dealership.

Very few walked in and ordered the car as I did mine. It was not the first car I special ordered. Never got the first one as the dealer did not want the warrenty work with a 4 speed. The car I finally got had an auto and he rebuilt it 5 times the first year. And that is just the beginning of the problems I could chronicle about the car.